Smith to Safety; Holmes to Corner?

[caphorns]

I don't see a thread on it, but is it true? Maybe if we wait long enough you guys will move PT to running back and Malcolm Kelly to QB - maybe bench AD.

[#1-Erin-Higgins-Fan]

HA! That's funny. I haven't heard anything about a switch though.

[OUstudent4life]

See this post (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1560686&postcount=24) in this thread. (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78748)

[toast]

See this post (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1560686&postcount=24) in this thread. (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78748)


yeah, but what about the post right above your's in that thread. Which one is right?

[OUstudent4life]

Well, upon further review...

I'm wrong.

:D

Luckily, Pac10 refs aren't watching this thread. Anyway...it worries me about the state of the D...maybe eventually he'll play DT. :D

[mightysooner]

Al confirmed it on the Sports Animal. This is a stupid move. Smith had one whole side of the field compeltely shut down and now we're opening that back up to the like of Lendy Holmes as a CB and moving Smith back to safety. It's no wonder players look so confused out there. They're getting jerked around from position to position like crazy by a man who's desperate to save his job but can't accept it's him, not the players.

[OUstudent4life]

They're getting jerked around from position to position like crazy by a man who's desperate to save his job but can't accept it's him, not the players.

BJW, Venables, or Stoops?

'cause I'm thinking it probably takes all three to agree to any position changes.

...and really, who's played worse, the corners or the SS/FS? That's a hard decision to make.

[SoonerPr8r]

maby we can clone Reggie then he could be the entire defense!

[IronSooner]

maby we can clone Reggie then he could be the entire defense!

Yeah, we could definitely use some Reggie at DT.

[yermom]

4-5 Reggies would be nice :D

i'm sure it's the best way to get some coverage and tackling in that Safety spot and get more of the guys that are playing well on the field

[mightysooner]

BJW, Venables, or Stoops?

'cause I'm thinking it probably takes all three to agree to any position changes.

...and really, who's played worse, the corners or the SS/FS? That's a hard decision to make.


Venables is the DC is he not? He should have some sway over who is coaching his DB's right? Venable's and BJW have no clue what they're doing.

I wouldn't say the safeties have played any worse than the corners. It was Wolfe getting torched that led to personnel changes at his corner position to Lendy Holmes...and Lendy seems to be getting burned as well. I just don't believe for one minute these guys are this bad of players. We make everybody's QB look like Joe Montana because our guys are being coached to watch the backfield. We've had secondary issues ever venables took over and it's the same problem each time. That problem is safeties and corners looking in the backfield while WR's blow by them. I'd say they're obviously being coached to do that for some idiotic reason. It's the same mistake over and over from player to player. That's a coaching issue.....

[TopDawg]

Is moving Reggie to safety an attempt to shore up our run D a little? While it's true that he can shut down one side of the field at corner, it's also easier for offenses to run away from him when he's at corner. Being at safety frees him up a little more.

The dropoff from Reggie to the next corner might not be as great as the upgrade from the previous safety to Reggie, plus he's in a better position to make plays.

Dunno, just a thought.

[TripleOption14]

What this tells me is that our safeties are TERRIBLE!!! As someone in another post pointed out... one of OU M.O.'s on D has always been badazzes at safeties who can coverage, lay the lumber, and be an all around athlete back there. Nowadays we don't have a safeties that can do any of these. So it seems like they are trying to go w/ the lesser of evils. Smith at S because he is the only player in the defensive backfield who can do everything and Holmes back to corner because he is the lesser evil to Wolfe. They're definitely trying to pull out all the stops. Whatever happen to K. Clayton?? Wasn't he suppose to lock up the S position?

[Readyfor8]

Venables is the DC is he not? He should have some sway over who is coaching his DB's right? Venable's and BJW have no clue what they're doing.

I wouldn't say the safeties have played any worse than the corners. It was Wolfe getting torched that led to personnel changes at his corner position to Lendy Holmes...and Lendy seems to be getting burned as well. I just don't believe for one minute these guys are this bad of players. We make everybody's QB look like Joe Montana because our guys are being coached to watch the backfield. We've had secondary issues ever venables took over and it's the same problem each time. That problem is safeties and corners looking in the backfield while WR's blow by them. I'd say they're obviously being coached to do that for some idiotic reason. It's the same mistake over and over from player to player. That's a coaching issue.....

Listen dork, I am pretty sure that Venables knows better than you about what he is doing. Moving Reggie to Safety and putting walker on Reggies side of the field gives us another shut down corner and allows Reggie to play both sides instead of just one. Guess they dont teach football in Middle Earth.

With a great strong safety or free safety we have seen (Roy Williams) make plays all over the field unlike a great corner that makes great plays on his side of the field. Instead of shutting down one side of the field, Reggie can force a QB to go into reads instead of staring at the open side of the field.

2 average corners + one great safety >>> 1 great corner + 1`average corner + 1 average safety

Not only that but we saw that Marcus Walker can have the chops to play corner well. He made countless great plays on Saturday and he can make them in other games this year as well.

The other bonus, is you put Reggie in the position to play the field more, and if he can get a few interceptions he is far more dangerous. It also shores up run defense.

[Paperclip]

Whatever happen to K. Clayton?? Wasn't he suppose to lock up the S position?

Clayton hasn't seen much time since his matador imitation vs. Washington. Ole'!

[usmc-sooner]

ok 4 games into our season and defense doesn't know how to line up (wrong alignments), doesn't know what to do when the ball is in play (busted assignments) and doesn't know how to tackle and we've made position changes in games 2, 3, and now 4.

Heck I need a job where the people I'm in charge of don't know how to do what there supposed to, I can't get it across to them and I don't even know where to use them and I'm considered great.

[tulsaoilerfan]

What this tells me is that our safeties are TERRIBLE!!! As someone in another post pointed out... one of OU M.O.'s on D has always been badazzes at safeties who can coverage, lay the lumber, and be an all around athlete back there. Nowadays we don't have a safeties that can do any of these. So it seems like they are trying to go w/ the lesser of evils. Smith at S because he is the only player in the defensive backfield who can do everything and Holmes back to corner because he is the lesser evil to Wolfe. They're definitely trying to pull out all the stops. Whatever happen to K. Clayton?? Wasn't he suppose to lock up the S position?
I'm not sure he's seen the field since the first defensive play of the game against UW when he missed a pretty easy open field tackle

[TripleOption14]

Guess they dont teach football in Middle Earth.

Hey, thats taking it to far sir!! :D There is nothing wrong w/ Middle Earth! :D

[critical_phil]

Heck I need a job where the people I'm in charge of don't know how to do what there supposed to, I can't get it across to them and I don't even know where to use them and I'm considered great.


you probably should have joined the navy.....

[TripleOption14]

I'm not sure he's seen the field since the first defensive play of the game against UW when he missed a pretty easy open field tackle

WOW, that stinks. I thought he was gonna be the real deal. Man where are the B. Pools, B. Everage, and R, Williams of the college football world when you need them!!!

[mightysooner]

Listen dork, I am pretty sure that Venables knows better than you about what he is doing. Moving Reggie to Safety and putting walker on Reggies side of the field gives us another shut down corner and allows Reggie to play both sides instead of just one. Guess they dont teach football in Middle Earth.

With a great strong safety or free safety we have seen (Roy Williams) make plays all over the field unlike a great corner that makes great plays on his side of the field. Instead of shutting down one side of the field, Reggie can force a QB to go into reads instead of staring at the open side of the field.

2 average corners + one great safety >>> 1 great corner + 1`average corner + 1 average safety

Not only that but we saw that Marcus Walker can have the chops to play corner well. He made countless great plays on Saturday and he can make them in other games this year as well.

The other bonus, is you put Reggie in the position to play the field more, and if he can get a few interceptions he is far more dangerous. It also shores up run defense.


Hey you can schlob all over Venable's knob all you want hotshot. All I need to say is we're the lowest ranked defense in the Big XII (Us!) and one of the lowest ranked defenses in the nation (Us!). Those are the facts. We're shuffling people around like a bad keystone cops flick and nobody knows where they're supposed to line up or what their assignments are. Same problem we heard last year and the year before and our issues are the same as they were last year and the year before and we have better talent. Our defensive coaches aren't cutting the mustard. I'm right. Let's accept it and go get DC's that have proven records instead of putting inexperienced people in critical positions they're not prepared to handle. I played football 5 years of my life. I know a lot more about what I'm seeing than some casual fan believe me. Venbales is feeling heat and he's shifting personnel around to take the focus off his lack of execution. He's going to make it worse. Watch.....

[usmc-sooner]

WOW, that stinks. I thought he was gonna be the real deal. Man where are the B. Pools, B. Everage, and R, Williams of the college football world when you need them!!!

they're playing for the Bo Pelini's and Mike Stoops :D

[Readyfor8]

Hey you can schlob all over Venable's knob all you want hotshot. All I need to say is we're the lowest ranked defense in the Big XII (Us!) and one of the lowest ranked defenses in the nation (Us!). Those are the facts. We're shuffling people around like a bad keystone cops flick and nobody knows where they're supposed to line up or what their assignments are. Same problem we heard last year and the year before and our issues are the same as they were last year and the year before and we have better talent. Our defensive coaches aren't cutting the mustard. I'm right. Let's accept it and go get DC's that have proven records instead of putting inexperienced people in critical positions they're not prepared to handle. I played football 5 years of my life. I know a lot more about what I'm seeing than some casual fan believe me. Venbales is feeling heat and he's shifting personnel around to take the focus off his lack of execution. He's going to make it worse. Watch.....

And if the defense performs better than it has you have to learn your role and not post for 2 months. You give your self far too much credit, because you don't know anything about what you are speaking. 5 years as Codefensive Coordinator at OU means something to me,thats all the experience he needs.

[C&CDean]

Listen dork, I am pretty sure that Venables knows better than you about what he is doing. Moving Reggie to Safety and putting walker on Reggies side of the field gives us another shut down corner and allows Reggie to play both sides instead of just one. Guess they dont teach football in Middle Earth.

With a great strong safety or free safety we have seen (Roy Williams) make plays all over the field unlike a great corner that makes great plays on his side of the field. Instead of shutting down one side of the field, Reggie can force a QB to go into reads instead of staring at the open side of the field.

2 average corners + one great safety >>> 1 great corner + 1`average corner + 1 average safety

Not only that but we saw that Marcus Walker can have the chops to play corner well. He made countless great plays on Saturday and he can make them in other games this year as well.

The other bonus, is you put Reggie in the position to play the field more, and if he can get a few interceptions he is far more dangerous. It also shores up run defense.

Strike 2.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

your newfound patience scares me...

[C&CDean]

your newfound patience scares me...

Give them rope. They can either tie a pretty bow, or wrap it around their scrawny neck and hang themself with it. But I'm all about feeding them rope.....

[sooner969]

Hey you can schlob all over Venable's knob all you want hotshot. All I need to say is we're the lowest ranked defense in the Big XII (Us!) and one of the lowest ranked defenses in the nation (Us!). Those are the facts. We're shuffling people around like a bad keystone cops flick and nobody knows where they're supposed to line up or what their assignments are. Same problem we heard last year and the year before and our issues are the same as they were last year and the year before and we have better talent. Our defensive coaches aren't cutting the mustard. I'm right. Let's accept it and go get DC's that have proven records instead of putting inexperienced people in critical positions they're not prepared to handle. I played football 5 years of my life. I know a lot more about what I'm seeing than some casual fan believe me. Venbales is feeling heat and he's shifting personnel around to take the focus off his lack of execution. He's going to make it worse. Watch.....

Yeah, I'm with you. There's not a snowballs chance in hell of shuffling people like this and having a cohesive unit on top of it. If 500 yards against Oregon was bad just wait and see what Texass will do against not only a poorly prepared defense but one with players who are utterly confused as to the roles of their respective postions. Vulnerables is in PANIC mode.

[C&CDean]

I wonder if the all-of-a-sudden Venables haters wear pink shirts and sit in Section 109?

[mightysooner]

And if the defense performs better than it has you have to learn your role and not post for 2 months. You give your self far too much credit, because you don't know anything about what you are speaking. 5 years as Codefensive Coordinator at OU means something to me,thats all the experience he needs.


Wow you set low standards. 5 years is all you need? What about results? He hasn't delivered any. The talent is there. I can see it. Why can't you?

[sooner969]

I wonder if the all-of-a-sudden Venables haters wear pink shirts and sit in Section 109?

Who's all of a sudden?

[C&CDean]

Wow you set low standards. 5 years is all you need? What about results? He hasn't delivered any. The talent is there. I can see it. Why can't you?

Why don't you put a few more "nice" posts under your belt before you come on here all gangbusters. Thanks for sharing your opinion, but try and remember it's only that. It's yours, and just like a part of your anatomy, it stinks.

[mightysooner]

Yeah, I'm with you. There's not a snowballs chance in hell of shuffling people like this and having a cohesive unit on top of it. If 500 yards against Oregon was bad just wait and see what Texass will do against not only a poorly prepared defense but one with players who are utterly confused as to the roles of their respective postions. Vulnerables is in PANIC mode.

Exactly! Is it any wondre they look so confused? CB one week, safety another, people moving in and out and you can't build cohesiveness that way. He's panicking and rightfully so.

Watch.....they'll come out and appear to play better against lowly MTSU and people will cry "SEE! We're getting better!" and then reality will sink in down in Dallas. I really hope I'm wrong I truly do......but deep in my gut I know better. By the end of the season, the outcry for change will be so loud it'll be deafening. We may even hear some "boos" during home games. Like I said......I really hope I'm wrong.

[usmc-sooner]

I didn't like Venables defense or Chuck's offense last year either.

Last year we came out confused didn't know what offensive players should be in what position, same thing this year except on defense. Now that Chuck Long is gone BV will feel a little more heat. Especially with a defense ranked 97th nationally.

You should listen to James Hale because he thinks all the coaches are the greatest and all the players are going pro.

Haven't we experimented with the shuffling player system under Blake?

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Hey you can schlob all over Venable's knob all you want hotshot. All I need to say is we're the lowest ranked defense in the Big XII (Us!) and one of the lowest ranked defenses in the nation (Us!). Those are the facts. We're shuffling people around like a bad keystone cops flick and nobody knows where they're supposed to line up or what their assignments are. Same problem we heard last year and the year before and our issues are the same as they were last year and the year before and we have better talent. Our defensive coaches aren't cutting the mustard. I'm right. Let's accept it and go get DC's that have proven records instead of putting inexperienced people in critical positions they're not prepared to handle. I played football 5 years of my life. I know a lot more about what I'm seeing than some casual fan believe me. Venbales is feeling heat and he's shifting personnel around to take the focus off his lack of execution. He's going to make it worse. Watch.....

omg, dude. stop

[C&CDean]

Who's all of a sudden?

Oh, so how long have you hated on Venables? Since Stoops left? No. Since we've been giving up huge plays this year. You're a bandwagon hater. Which is just as bad as being a bandwagon fan. Give it a rest. We know you think he's the worse defensive mind in the whole universe. That's your choice. There's some of us here, though, that have a little more patience/maturity. He's a Sooner, and has been a Sooner for several years. He's helped us win a lot of games. How about not throwing him under the bus just yet?

[mightysooner]

Why don't you put a few more "nice" posts under your belt before you come on here all gangbusters. Thanks for sharing your opinion, but try and remember it's only that. It's yours, and just like a part of your anatomy, it stinks.

I'm nice when people are nice to me. You opened up the salvo with snideness, not me. I'm not trying to go after anybody on here but you get what you give right?

And my opinioning "stinking" is also......just an opinion.

I care about my team and they deserve the best leadership available. This is Oklahoma, not a jobfair.

[C&CDean]

Exactly! Is it any wondre they look so confused? CB one week, safety another, people moving in and out and you can't build cohesiveness that way. He's panicking and rightfully so.

Watch.....they'll come out and appear to play better against lowly MTSU and people will cry "SEE! We're getting better!" and then reality will sink in down in Dallas. I really hope I'm wrong I truly do......but deep in my gut I know better. By the end of the season, the outcry for change will be so loud it'll be deafening. We may even hear some "boos" during home games. Like I said......I really hope I'm wrong.

So, what team do you root for again?

[C&CDean]

I'm nice when people are nice to me. You opened up the salvo with snideness, not me. I'm not trying to go after anybody on here but you get what you give right?

And my opinioning "stinking" is also......just an opinion.

I'll say it just once. You're new. STFU before you're old. Capice? Saying one of our posters sucks Venable's dick is hardly being nice, no? Don't **** with me today.

[mightysooner]

omg, dude. stop

Facts are painful eh?

[C&CDean]

Facts are painful eh?

Say goodnight.

[sooner969]

Oh, so how long have you hated on Venables? Since Stoops left? No. Since we've been giving up huge plays this year. You're a bandwagon hater. Which is just as bad as being a bandwagon fan. Give it a rest. We know you think he's the worse defensive mind in the whole universe. That's your choice. There's some of us here, though, that have a little more patience/maturity. He's a Sooner, and has been a Sooner for several years. He's helped us win a lot of games. How about not throwing him under the bus just yet?
What are you Readyfor8's alter ego or something??? I haven't liked Vulnerables ever. He's been inept since he took the job over. He's never fielded a defense that looked like it knew what it was doing. Bandwagon hater eh?? RRRRRIIIGGGGHHHTTTT. Whatever makes you sleep better at night.

[Mongo]

That was entertaining.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Facts are painful eh?

yes, daylen, they are...

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

What are you Readyfor8's alter ego or something??? I haven't liked Vulnerables ever. He's been inept since he took the job over. He's never fielded a defense that looked like it knew what it was doing. Bandwagon hater eh?? RRRRRIIIGGGGHHHTTTT. Whatever makes you sleep better at night.

2004? or was that a mirage?

[C&CDean]

What are you Readyfor8's alter ego or something??? I haven't liked Vulnerables ever. He's been inept since he took the job over. He's never fielded a defense that looked like it knew what it was doing. Bandwagon hater eh?? RRRRRIIIGGGGHHHTTTT. Whatever makes you sleep better at night.

Where the **** are you nimrods coming from? I'm just hoping these are troll handles for some of our banned users. Give it a break.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

i knew your patience couldn't last long

dean + morans = :bsmf:

[sooner969]

blah, blah, blah

Signed: Nick Zepp

[C&CDean]

Oh, and jkm, I'm going to go set up the RV for the tailgate. Please brandish a very large stick and make me proud.

[usmc-sooner]

What are you Readyfor8's alter ego or something??? I haven't liked Vulnerables ever. He's been inept since he took the job over. He's never fielded a defense that looked like it knew what it was doing. Bandwagon hater eh?? RRRRRIIIGGGGHHHTTTT. Whatever makes you sleep better at night.

hey right now I'm not happy with the defense either, but messin with Dean right now probably aint the best thing.

[usmc-sooner]

Oh, and jkm, I'm going to go set up the RV for the tailgate. Please brandish a very large stick and make me proud.

can I have the stick to take to the South Oval? Pleaaaaaaaaaaaase!!!!!

C'mon I just want to swing it once :D

[C&CDean]

Galdang it, I ain't happy with the defense either!! But I ain't gonna whine like a little biznacho and start pointing fingers because all I learned in life was to blame somebody else.

"Fans" like these two torque my ***. I've got em' all around me in the stadium, and one of them is gonna be taking a swan dive outta the upper deck if he doesn't stifle. It's time for Venables to earn his money. It ain't time for us to call him names, rag him out, blame him for everything from the price of gas to el ****ing nino.

TIA.

[rhombic21]

My reaction to the move:

1) I don't understand why we don't consider moving Nic Harris to Safety, and playing Lewis Baker at the "LB/S combo" position. That seems like it would be less disruptive. Of course, that is all predicated on Nic Harris being able to play SS like they want, and Baker being able to play the LB/S right, neither of which may be true (Harris didn't look very good in coverage on the last play, that's for sure, and Baker didn't set the world on fire last year).

2) I understand the move. As I've been saying all week, our defense is very reliant on safeties to make plays. Whether it was Roy Williams and JT Thatcher in 2000, Williams and Everage in 2001, or Everage and Brodney Pool in 2003, our most productive defenses have been when our safeties are playmakers. We lack a playmaker at safety right now. Smith has the physical tools to be a good tackler, and to cover well, plus he has the ball skills to make big plays in the back. It's true that he's our best corner, but it's also true that he's probably our best Safety. That just speaks to what kind of talent he is. We just do not have the talent at safety right now that we need. Darrien Williams is solid but not special, and both Carter and Clayton were the weak link when they were in the game. That might work for some defensive schemes, but not ours. Like I said earlier, we need our best defensive backs at Safety, because of the way that we use them.

We have much more talent at CB than at Safety. With Marcus Walker's healthy return, we have another guy who can be a lockdown corner. Neither Lendy or DJ are there yet, but both guys have shown promise, and the consensus is that they just need more snaps. Well they aren't going to get those snaps if they're sitting on the bench behind Smith and Walker all game.

I think that the logic is that this move gets our best 4 DBs on the field. Potential wise, our third and fourth string cornerbacks are more likely to improve like we want them to in a relatively short period of time than are any of the guys that we have at Safety. I think that the coaches looked at the depth chart and realized that Clayton isn't going to be ready this season, and that Carter isn't ever going to be what we need, so we had to make a change. The fact that Marcus Walker looked so good at corner helped the decision even more.

3) Personally, I like the move. Reggie Smith is our best playmaker, and this gets him around the ball more. Teams were barely throwing to him at CB, but now they won't be able to avoid him as much. I also think that between Lendy and DJ, one of those guys will step up and give us a solid corner. DJ played well a year ago, and even played well at times this year. Lendy seems to have all the physical tools, and just needs to get more confident. And I feel very good about Marcus Walker at the other corner. Carter and Clayton were simply killing us at safety with their poor play, and I think that Smith can be a significant upgrade there.

[Readyfor8]

Galdang it, I ain't happy with the defense either!! But I ain't gonna whine like a little biznacho and start pointing fingers because all I learned in life was to blame somebody else.

"Fans" like these two torque my ***. I've got em' all around me in the stadium, and one of them is gonna be taking a swan dive outta the upper deck if he doesn't stifle. It's time for Venables to earn his money. It ain't time for us to call him names, rag him out, blame him for everything from the price of gas to el ****ing nino.

TIA.

Why I got a "Strike" for arguing the same side as you, not using curse words (although I was being hostile), and adding reasons that the move was good.... I will never know.

oh well... I guess I'll dodge a shoe.

Edit: I guess I'll take the night off and drink. Defending Sooners against ducks, horns and pokers all week as made me less likely to defend Sooners against Sooners without insult.

[RedstickSooner]

Venbales is feeling heat and he's shifting personnel around to take the focus off his lack of execution.

As an aside, I nominate this for our DC's new nickname.

Venbales just has a cooler sound to it than "Venables".

Anyone else with me here?